With the discovery of the first case of Mad Cow Disease in the U.S., nations all over the world
stopped importing American beef, consumers feared for their safety, and the U.S. government fell under intense
scrutiny for its lack of related regulatory oversight. By mid-January the
USDA attempted to appease consumers and the press by announcing new rules
that would reduce the potential spread of the fatal disease. Interestingly
enough, those rules have still not been implemented. In order for the rules
to become enforced, they must be published in the Federal Register, a daily
governmental publication. Stephen Sundlof of the
FDA spoke of the delay in enforcement, saying the fact that it’s taking so
long "shows that we do consider it important." /old_articles/madcow/Mishra041404.cfm